Tapping and refill-controlling device



Jan. 4, 1938. c. KARAIGEOJRGIEFF 2,104,080 1 TAPPING AND REFILL CONTROLLING DEVICE I Filed Nov. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

8- c. KARAGEORGIEFF 2,104,080

TAPPING AND REFILL CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 4, 1938 TAPPING AND' REFILLI-CONTROLIJNG DEVICE Christoph Karageorgieff, Vienna, Austria Q 7 Application November 9, 1935, Serial No. 49,107

' V In Austria March 29, 1934' 6 Claims.

I have filed applications in Austria on the 29th March 1934 and in Austria on the th December 1934 and of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto tapping and. refilling devices equipped with controllablelockin'g means, for use on containers for. marketable liquids, and more particularly on barrels, drums and the like. The known types of commercial barrels for marketable liquids such asfor example gasoline, lubricating oil, edible oil, kerosene, or the like are as a rule "provided with twoopeningswhich are adapted to beclosed by meansof screw plugs and sealed-as aprecautionuagainst being. tampered with during transport andstoragev All 5 the known types of fiuid containers of this description have the disadvantage that there is no check on refilling. The containers in question are generally filled by the producers or suppliers of the contents with a liquid of a certain definitaand. standard quality, for example lubricating oil or gasoline; now it is in the interestsof the supplier to prevent dealers and others from filling such barrels or other containers, when empty, with poorer quality products, and deceiving the, public by selling these as products of the recognized superior quality denoted by the marking or appearance of the containers. A further disadvantage resides in the fact that the barrels or other containers, are loaned to the dealers free of chargeby the producers of the marketable contents, and; are generallyretained by the dealers for anunconscionably long time, and are often damaged or exchanged before being -returned. I v v The present invention has for its object to obviate all these drawbacks, and above allto prevent the possibility of barrels being refilled, 'after'the sale of the original contents, WithfOthBI "products by unauthorized persons (more particularly dealers). H

With these and other objects in view, the present invention provides atapping and refilling device equipped with locking means, for use in coninectioni with containers (more particularly barrels and. the like), comprising, in combination *astapping cock. consisting of a casing and a fitted plug, ports in the said casing and plug adapted *to be brought into and out of: register by rotation of the said plug, disengageable retaining means associated with the said plug and casing for normally retaining the said plug against withdrawalfrom the said casing, an outwardly opening valve interposedin the outfiow path of the said cock, and a lock. built intothe said cook .5 inoperative association with the said retaining means, for the purpose of enabling the said plug to be withdrawn from the said casing, thereby providing a refill aperture, after disengagement of. the said retaining means in dependence on the operation of thesaid lock.

Containers ,(casks) "haveindeed already become known having filling and tapping devices governed by locking mechanism. With these known, devices, however, the lock must be unlockedand the cock placed in the open position both for drawing off liquid from the cask and also for refilling the cask with fresh liquid. The purpose of the present invention cannot be fulfilled by a device of this nature, since the dealer would also be required to have a key, in order to be in a position to undo .the lock to open the cock for tapping purposes, in which case he is also in a position to refill the container when empty, which is precisely what is to be avoided by the present invention. Fig. 1 showsa modified form of construction with fixation of the plug of. the, cock against the casing of the cock. 0

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3-6'show a modified form of construction of the invention, Fig. 3 being a vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 4 a front elevation, Fig. 5 a section taken on thejline 5-5 of. Fig. 3, and Fig. 6a rear elevation.

. Fig. 7 shows a further modification in side elevation. I

Fig. 8 is a section-on. the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

In the present form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the arrangement and, assembly of the parts I to29 is the same as in the preceding iormof construction, described and illustrated in the patent application Ser. No. 12,278, filed March 21, 1935, of which the present application is a continuation in part, only with the difference that the plug 5 of the cock is arranged to be susceptible of withdrawal from the casing 4 while being otherwise locked in the casing inaccessible to unauthorized persons. For this purposethe rear end of the plug 5 of the cock is 45.

provided with a groove 30 and a collar 3|, while to the pin 23. of the cylinder look there is keyed or otherwise secured a hook-shaped latch 32 which is adapted to be pivotally swung, on the 7 operation of the look, so that its concave edge fits into the groove 30. Both the inner side of the collar 3| and also the corresponding end surface of the latch 32 can be made slightly inclined, for the purpose of holding the plug firmly fitted. into the casing by the said-latch.

gether with the plug of the cock. The plug 5 of the cock can at the same time'be made suitably large or can be of larger diameter than that,

of the previously discussed forms of construction,

' with the incidental result that the large aperture in the casing conditioned thereby permits of more rapid filling of the container. Into the cock plug itself, and disposed in an axial direction, there is built a cylinder lock 6. The central portion23 of this look is provided with a pin 23 to which there isattached at the rear end a cam slot disc 33.] In the suitably eccentrically disposed slots 33 of this disc there engage permanently the studs 34 on. the one end of each .of two latches 35 the other ends of whichare furnished with pivot pins 36 which are pivotally'mounted in suitable recesses in the rear end surfaces of the casing4;

I By rotation 'ofa thrust key 2l,.which is inserted in the slotj23 in the part 23, and with it of the pin 23 in a clockwise direction the latches 35 become swung outwards, sothat they are brought into the locking position shown in Fig. 6. A stuffing box l3 prevents the escape of liquid through the lock mechanism.

The cock plug 5 is provided with two diametri-' cally opposed recesses 38 and 3 9 of which, in the position shown in Fig. 3, the recess 38 admits air into the vent pipe I4 and thence'into the con-' the front end with a particularly large head 43 which carries the handle 9 and protects the pouring lip 4 Inorderto renderthe flap 4| less accessibla'the casing 4 is provided at the front with an, upstanding flange 44 which surrounds the head 43 of the cock plug with slight clearance, while on the under side of the cock plug there is provided a rib 46. The part 44 is also provided for the purpose of preventing fouling of the outfiow passages. A sheet metal ring 49 cast in the casing permits of the subsequent application of the device to already existing and used containers, for which purpose the said ring is united to the end of the container for instance by welding.

For the purpose of refilling the container the cock plug 5 is taken out of the casing 4 after the operation of the lock 6 which brings the latches 35 out of the locking position.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a somewhat modified form :of construction of the casing and of the non.- .return valve elements, it being understood that the parts not separately mentioned are the same as in the'form of construction shown in Figs. 3 to 6. The casing 4 into which thefcock plug 5 is fitted, is provided at the side with two ports 50 and 5I'with a common face 52 for a slide 53 This slide comprises an aperture 54, two

58 of a two-armed shutting off lever 62 which is pivotally mounted at 59 .on a lug 60 pertaining to the casing 4, and which is weight-loaded at 6|. .A spring (leaf spring) 63 strives to keep the slide pressed against the face of the ports. This spring 63 at the same time serves to guide the slide, since the spring engages in the forks and 56. V 7 63 that it rides up on to'theedge55 in the fork 55on the descending of the slide, with the result that the slide is more firmly pressed against the face 52 in the position of closure; On. the tilting of the device shown. in Fig. '7 through 90 and in ajclockwise direction, which corresponds to the Furthermore, the'spring'is so bent at standing up of the container for the purpose of refilling it with'liquid, the weight swings in opposite direction, and thereby displaces the slide in a downward direction up to the stop 65, so that the two ports 50 and 5lar'ec1osedofi. .Filling can therefore only be carried out by such persons asare in possession of the key to the cylinder lock which, when unlocked, permits or the re moval of the cock plug bodily from the casing.

'I claim: g r

1. A tapping: and refill-controlling'device for a'container of marketable liquid, comprising in combination a'tapping cock consisting of a casingand a'fitted'jplug, ports in said casing-and said plug adapted to be brought freely into and out of registryby'rotation of said plug to permit unrestricted draining'and closure of thecontainer by said plug; an outwardly opening check valve interposed in the outflow path of said cock to'prevent filling of the container through said plug, disengageable" retaining means associated with said plug and casing for normally retaining said plug against'withdrawalfrom said ca'sing, and a lock built into'said'cock in operative association with said retaining means for-permitting the withdrawal of said plug from said casing and the use of the latter as a refill aperture only by the disengagement of saideretainin'g means in dependence on the operation of said lock.

' 2. A tapping'and-refill controlling device for a container-of-marketable liquidfcomprisin'g in combination a tapping'cock'consisting of a casing and a fitted plug, ports in said casing and plug adapted to be brought freely into and out of registry by' the, rotation of said plug to permit unrestricted draining and closure of the container, and-an outwardly opening check" valve interposedinftheoutfiow path'of said cock to prevent filling of said container through said plug, disengageable retaining means associated with said plug and casing for normally retaining said plug against withdrawal from the casing, said retaining means comprising an annular groove in the inner end of said plug and a latch arm having an arcuate edge adapted to normally engage in said groove to retain the plug in said casing, and a lock built into said cock and having its operating elements connected with saidlatch arm to actuate the latter to hold the plug in its casing or to release it in accordance with the, operation of the lock, to permit the withdrawal of said plug and the use of said casing as a refill.

aperture only by the release operation of said lock.'-

' 3.: A tapping and refill -controlling. device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination a tapping cock consisting of a casing and a fitted plug, ports in the said casing and plug adapted tobe brought into and out of register by rotation of the said plug, disengageable against withdrawal from the said casing, an outwardly opening valve mounted in the said plug andinterposed in the outflow'path of the said cock, and a lock built into the said plug in operative association with the said retaining means, for the purpose of enabling the said plug to be withdrawn from the said casing, thereby providing a refill aperture, after disengagement of the said retaining means in dependence on the operation of the said lock.

4. A tapping and refill-controlling device as claimed in claim 3 in which the said retaining means comprise pivoted latch elements mounted on the inner end of the said plug with a range of pivotal movement extending from a position within the peripheral contour of the said end of the plug to a position at least partly overlapping the surface of the said end, and spreading means coupled with the said latch elements and opera tively associated with the said lock for pivotal movement of the said latch elements in dependence on operation of the said lock.

5. A tapping and refill-controlling device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination a tapping cock consisting of a casingand a fitted plug, ports in the said casing and plug adapted to be brought into and out of register by rotation of the said plug, disengageable -"retaining means associated withthe said plug and casing for normally retaining the said plug against withdrawal from the said casing, a slide valve adapted to coact With the face of the port in the said plug on the side towards the interior of the said container, means for resiliently pressing the said slide valve against the said face, gravity operated means for moving the said slide valve into the position of closure on the tilting of the said container from the tapping position into a refilling position, and a lock built into the said cock in operative association with the said retaining means, for the purpose of enabling the said plug to be withdrawn from the said casing, thereby providing a refill aperture, after disengagement of the said retaining means in dependence on operation of the said lock.

6. A tapping and refill-controlling device as claimed in claim 5 in which the said gravity operated means consist of a two-armed lever pivoted on the said casing and having one arm in operative engagement with a recess in the said slide valve and the other arm weight loaded.

CHRISTOPH KARAGEORGIEFF. 

